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Cases of Coronavirus in the U.S. Reached More than a Thousand; President Trump Going the Opposite Way; More Schools Closed in Fear of the Pandemic Threat; Virus Infects the Economy Worldwide. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 11, 2020 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Vause. Good to have you with us.

The United States has now reported over 1,000 cases of the coronavirus and 31 people have died.

CHURCH: The number of cases is growing by the hour. Washington State has the highest numbers, with more than 270 cases and at least 24 deaths. Its governor says mandatory measures could be on the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JAY INSLEE (D-WA): The number of people infected in an epidemic like this will double in the state of Washington unless we take some real action here.

And if you do the math, it gets very disturbing. When something doubles every day, it gets to a large number very quickly. If there are 1,000 people infected today, in seven or eight weeks there could be 64,000 people infected in the state of Washington, if we don't somehow slow down this epidemic. In the next week, it could be 120,000. Then it could be a quarter million.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In California, about 1,000 passengers and crew are transferring from the coronavirus hit Grand Princess to quarantine facilities at a nearby air base. There have been 21 confirmed cases on board, but only 45 people have been tested so far.

On the east coast, New York is creating a one-mile containment zone around the suburb of New Rochelle. Schools and places of worship will be closed for two weeks. Governor Andrew Cuomo says he will deploy the National Guard to help clean public spaces and deliver food.

CHURCH: Meanwhile, worldwide, more than 4,000 people have now died from the coronavirus out of more than 115,000 confirmed cases. Italy has reported its biggest jump in coronavirus deaths since the outbreak began, almost 170 in a single day, bringing the country's death toll to more than 630. The entire country is now on lockdown.

Well joining us now is CNN's medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Good to see you. So, Elizabeth, the New York Times is reporting the delays and widespread testing by the federal government in the early stages of this outbreak in Seattle resulted in a missed opportunity to contain this virus. What are the details on that and of course, the consequences?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Rosemary, incredible reporting by the New York Times. Let me break it down for you.

What they are basically reporting is that on February 10th, doctors who run the Seattle flu study said wow, we have thousands of samples, swabs from people's noses that we took for flu, but isn't this a great opportunity? We could test for coronavirus. That would give us an idea for how prevalent is in our community.

And the federal government said no, you can't do it. You are not certified to do that kind of testing. Labs in the U.S. are certified to do certain things. They could have said sure, this is an emergency, we're going to let you do it. But instead, they said no.

So, February 28th, the doctors said you know what? We are going to do this anyways. And they found that teenage boy had coronavirus and they got him, or public health authorities got him, just as he was entering his school and said you are going home.

And so, those doctors in Seattle may have prevented an outbreak at that young man's school. And then a couple days later, the federal government said all right, all right, we'll let you test. And what they discovered was that there were many more cases of coronavirus in the community. Imagine if that discovery had been made back on February 10th when the doctors wanted to be doing this study. They really could have prevented some of this outbreak possibly.

CHURCH: This is such a concern to find out the federal government dropped the ball to this extent. And we are also seeing mixed messages on how many tests have been done. I mean, we -- we really don't know at this stage. But we should know that information, wouldn't we?

COHEN: Right. It is unclear exactly how many tests have been done. And you know, I think there is going to be so many more tests done in the near future. It's really ramping up. That in some ways looking backwards is not key. It's really looking forward and testing as many people who need to be tested, both to diagnose people and to get a feeling for how prevalent this virus is.

So, right now, we are at the bit of the mystery stage, where we are not sure about these numbers completely. I think that's going to change relatively soon.

CHURCH: Yes, I'm sure. And of course, the U.S. president has been downplaying the risks involved in this coronavirus outbreak. What message does that send? Does it calm or confused?

[03:05:04]

COHEN: You know, I think it confuses people. Because on the one hand, you have well-respected health authorities such as Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health saying take this seriously. You need to take certain steps. For example, elderly people and people with underlying medical conditions should not be going to large gatherings. They should not be getting on planes. They certainly, or should or at least they should think twice they definitely shouldn't be getting on cruise ships.

So, you have people like Dr. Fauci and other health authorities saying that. And then the president sort of downplaying how important this is. I guess Americans have a choice. They can listen to an actual medical doctor with decades of experience, or to President Trump who, unless something has changed recently, does not have a medical degree.

CHURCH: Yes. Well, we certainly know who the market listening to on this. Elizabeth Cohen, many thanks to you for joining us. I appreciate it.

COHEN: Thanks.

VAUSE: And for a self-confessed germaphobe Donald Trump seems remarkably unconcerned by the possibility of catching the coronavirus. He continues to shake hands despite advice to the contrary from senior advisers, and while he is in the age bracket most at risk, the president has not been tested for the disease.

CHURCH: Yes. And Mr. Trump also plans to hold a campaign event on March 19th, which raises a few eyebrows, going against CDC guidelines on postponing large gatherings. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence offered this explanation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, look, as the president has said, in our line of work, you shake hands when someone wants to shake your hand. I expect the president will continue to do that. I'll continue to do it. What this is, is a broad recommendation for Americans, but a really good recommendation is to wash your hands often.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: While officials are worried about the president's health, especially after he shook hands this week with a lawmaker who was in contact with an infected patient.

CHURCH: yes. And the CDC recommends everyone wash their hands regularly with soap and water, as you heard there from the vice president. And that will help reduce any virus transmission. best advice.

VAUSE: Absolutely. CNN White House correspondent Boris Sanchez live this hour in Washington. So, Boris, not only does the president keeps shaking hands. It seems he continues to be a source of misleading information. He responded to a tweet from a supporter who is calling for the border wall of Mexico to be built as a way of containing the virus. And he replied going up fast, we need the wall more than ever.

You know, the head of the CDC was asked specifically about that during a congressional hearing on Tuesday. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KATHERINE CLARK (D-MA): Is there anything in those recommendations that say sort of structural barriers at our borders would be of any use in mitigating the outbreak of this virus?

ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: Not that I've seen.

CLARK: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, ultimately, it goes to the question of whether or not the president is taking this crisis seriously.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly. And that idea of the border wall trying to prevent coronavirus obviously a fallacy. But the president sees an opportunity there to beat the drum of his anti-immigration policy.

He is taking this seriously in an economic sense. Right? The president is set to meet with banking executives in a few hours, we're told. He was up on Capitol Hill yesterday trying to make the case, some of the ideas that he has for a potential economic stimulus plan promoting this idea of a payroll tax cut, something that Republican lawmakers have told CNN that they are not exactly eager for.

The president obviously watching a slump in the stock market. He is worried about a potential recession going into the 2020 election. But when it comes to the more immediate impacts of the virus, you're right. It doesn't appear that he is all that concerned.

He reiterated today that he himself has not been tested, even though he flew on Air Force One with Matt Gaetz, that lawmaker who was exposed to a coronavirus patient at CPAC, the conservative conference.

Further, the president isn't listening to the advice put out by his own health experts at that very podium where you just saw Vice President Mike Pence. They're effectively telling people over 60 to not shake hands, to not go to large public gatherings.

We've seen the president shake many hands in the last few days. He has attended at least two fund-raisers attended by hundreds of people.

Further, the president, as you said, counting on this campaign event on March 19th in Milwaukee, Catholics for Trump. We are hearing that there may be more events announced in the future in the coming days, despite all of these warnings, John.

VAUSE: Another problem also seems to be this lack of information about just how many Americans have actually being tested, the numbers. Here is the health secretary speaking to CNN. Listen to this.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX AZAR, SECRETARY, UNITED STATES HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: We don't know exactly how many, because of hundreds of thousands of our tests have gone out to private labs and hospitals that currently do not report in the CDC. We're working with the CDC and those partners to get an I.T. reporting system up and running, hopefully this week where we would be able to get that data to keep track of how many we're testing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And you can add to add news that the maker of one of the critical parts of the testing kits is warning that there will be a shortage because of the surge in demand.

[03:10:04]

And again, the question of confidence. Does the Trump administration have any plans to address this?

SANCHEZ: Look, from the beginning, there have been issues with the coronavirus tests provided by the CDC. They sent them out very quickly, we're told, that the test were producing inconclusive results.

The CDC effectively said that this was an issue that would be resolved in just a number of days. It was not. It took a long time for them to get back up to speed. They are having issues mobilizing this test to the areas that have the greatest amount of need.

Further, the president is exacerbating this by going out and saying, as he did at the CDC in Atlanta last week, that anybody who wants a test can get one. That's certainly false and it sent his health experts, officials in the administration scrambling to try to clarify it.

We were told that at some point before the end of this week millions of tests would be distributed. We'll wait and see if that actually comes true, John.

VAUSE: Wait and see. Boris, thank you. Boris Sanchez live for the very early hour here on this case. Thanks, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

VAUSE: Joe Biden is on track for the Democratic presidential nomination with CNN projecting the former vice president will win at least four of the six primaries Tuesday night, building on his massive comeback a week ago on Super Tuesday and denying his rival Bernie Sanders a much-needed comeback.

CHURCH: Yes. And of course, the big prize was Michigan and Biden won that convincingly, even though Sanders won that primary back in 2016, so of course he will likely lose the majority of the 125 delegates up for grabs.

Biden's popularity with southern African-American voters gained him the upper hand in Mississippi as well. The state has 36 delegates and five super delegates on the line.

VAUSE: Missouri's 68 delegates will most likely go to Biden. This is the second time that Bernie Sanders has lost a primary in that battleground state. He also loses Idaho to Biden. Twenty delegates were up for grabs there.

CHURCH: Results are still coming in from North Dakota and Washington. Sanders won both those states back in 2016. The candidates -- what about a third of Washington's vote, each fighting for the majority of the states' 89 delegates. And Sanders leads in North Dakota, which will split its 14 delegates between the candidates.

VAUSE: Biden is expected to win primaries next week in Florida and Arizona. And when he addressed supporters on Tuesday night, it wasn't so much a triumphant victory speech but rather an attempt to unify the Democratic Party with the eye on the general election come November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For just the past week, so many of my incredibly capable competitors have endorsed me. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O'Rourke, Mike Bloomberg, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris. Together, together, we are bringing this party together. That's what we have to do.

Tonight, we are a step closer in restoring decency, dignity, and honor to the White House. That's our ultimate goal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, Bernie Sanders flew back to his home in Burlington, Vermont instead of making a public address. A top adviser to Sanders noted how crucial Tuesday's performance was, adding it didn't happen. So, it will be interesting to see what he does next. That's very unusual for him not to make a speech.

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: It did not happen to say the least.

CHURCH: That's right. And we will get back to our top story with more on the fast-growing coronavirus outbreak here in the United States, right after this short break. [03:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome, back everyone. Well, the number of coronavirus cases in the United States is (AUDIO GAP).

VAUSE: The U.S. now reporting 1,000 cases with 31 deaths. Washington State has the highest number of infected, at more than 270. The governor there is expected to announce a restriction on gatherings of more than 250 people, and mostly sporting events and concerts. And that's according to the Seattle Times. At least 18 U.S. states have declared a state of emergency.

Well, for more now, CNN law enforcement analyst Jonathan Wackrow joins us from New York. He is a former Secret Service agent and a security consultant right now. Jonathan, good for you to be with us. Something that we've seen in the last 24 hours is that Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders they both cancelled campaign rallies.

The U.S. president at this point still plans to have a rally later this month, maybe more than just one. What's your risk assessment here for Donald Trump and also those who attend that rally?

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, listen, I mean, it clearly sends a mixed message to the American public where you have the lead agency, the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control are saying that public gatherings are, you know, ill advised. And then the president on the other hand, is going ahead with mass gathering.

So, it is causing confusion. You know, people are asking, well, who should I listen to, the CDC or should I listen to the President of the United States? In the moment of a health crisis the president needs to be in charge, and he needs to practice what his components are preaching right now.

This is a public health crisis. Every expert says that, you know, large gatherings are ill-advised. Social distancing is what we want to have. We want to make sure that we're not spreading this disease. We are containing it where there are outbreaks, but not, you know, further spreading this disease. And just having these large-scale gatherings is problematic.

VAUSE: How do you compete -- or how do you manage this competing interest, though? Because clearly, President Trump wants to portray this sort of calm image, everything is OK, it's all under control, there's no need to panic. Look, I'm out and about, I'm shaking hands, you know, all that kind of stuff.

With the advice that you're getting from the experts. Because it's very hard to put that image of I'm in control and everything is OK, you know, if you're in a hazmat, hospital bed somewhere or you're not able to get out and about and meet with people.

[03:20:02]

WACKROW: Well, this is -- this is message confusion right now. It's all about how that message is being received.

Listen, I talk to business leaders every single day and they're confused. I spoke to somebody yesterday that said well, this is all going to be done by April. And it's just like the flu, and we don't even have to worry about it.

At the same time, I'm saying, well, wait a second, the CDC is showing from data that we have to look at the scientific community that's putting forth the actual data that showing the rapid spread of this disease throughout, you know, not only the world but throughout the United States and how these pockets are growing on the east and west coast.

So, listen, my advice is, listen to the scientists, listen to the practitioners that are actually mitigating this crisis. The president hopefully will come in line and, you know, he will be the voice of reason soon.

VAUSE: How do you protect a president in the midst of a pandemic? How do you protect, you know, the leader, whether it's the leader of the country or business leader or whatever, from something you can't see?

WACKROW: Well, listen, this is something, you know -- so for the President of the United States, the Secret Service has planned for a very long time around various types of global pandemics or health crises that may affect the president.

Really, distancing, isolating the president, making sure that they are not coming in direct contact with the public. Making sure that they have the availability of the White House medical unit. Increased screening, increased monitoring. So, there are action steps that can be taken by the Secret Service to mitigate the exposure.

Listen, at the end of the day, the risk to the president is predicated upon their exposure to a virus or the disease. And the Secret Service's responsibility is to mitigate that. To create that separation and not have that exposure.

VAUSE: Very quickly, ultimately though, it's up to the president to do what the president will do, right?

WACKROW: Exactly. We've seen that time and time again with this president.

VAUSE: OK, Jonathan, thank. Good to see you.

WACKROW: Thanks.

VAUSE: Thanks for coming in.

WACKROW: Bye.

VAUSE: Cheers.

CHURCH: Well, a number of U.S. colleges and universities are moving to virtual classes because of the pandemic. Harvard University is asking students to move out of their dorms by this Sunday, the start of spring break week. A spokesman says all academic courses will continue remotely.

VAUSE: Most of the schools close in campus classrooms are in areas that have been hit hard by the virus, like Seattle, New York, and California. UCLA, Columbia, Princeton, and Stanford are among the schools moving online classes in the very near future.

CHURCH: Google's parent company, Alphabet, is recommending that all of its North American employees work from home through April 10th. Alphabet employees about 120,000 full-time workers. And while many companies are asking employees in certain cities to work from home, Alphabet is among the first to ask workers throughout the continent to do it.

Google is also canceling its biggest event of the year, the annual developer conference that was scheduled for mid-May.

Well, U.S. stock futures tumbled after Tuesday's rally on Wall Street, underscoring the market volatility surrounding the coronavirus. Asia's markets were also in the red. Japan's Nikkei dropped more than 2 percent.

And our John Defterios has more now for us from London. He joins us live. So, John, understandably, investors, retirees, and the general public are nervous about what's happening here. Why are U.S. futures tumbling? And what will turn this around?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, I think it's a case of the U.S. President, Donald Trump, managing expectations, Rosemary. He said they had major plans in the work in terms of a stimulus plan. And that did not materialize in the last 24 hours, despite the setting of the bar very high by the U.S. president.

Relief to the airline sector, hospitality sector, the cruise lining sector, even perhaps the oil and gas because of the price where we are seeing between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the same time.

There is a threat of a recession coming at the end of the second quarter or into the third quarter. Something that the U.S. president, and for that matter, nobody else is planning on in 2020. Slower growth, but not hitting a wall. And that's why the stimulus package is so important.

The U.S. Federal Reserve has cut interest rates already, Rosemary. They are expected to do so again. And in the last half hour here in London, the Bank of England has decided to cut its interest rate, the primary lending rate by half a percentage point down to a quarter percent. We are expecting the budget from the U.K. government at the same time as well.

So, uncertain times, the Asian market is wobbly. We had a big recovery on Wall Street. But the futures are pointing lower because right now we don't see where the president is going next when it comes to the stimulus plan.

[03:24:57]

He almost took the British approach, saying, look, remain calm at this stage. There is no reason to panic. That does not resonate well in the international markets for the largest economy.

CHURCH: Yes. They are not hearing that message right now. They need to see some positive signs.

John Defterios joining us from London, many thanks.

VAUSE: So, far it seems children have been spared from the worst of the coronavirus. When we come back, why children who are normally so vulnerable to other diseases seem almost immune. And if that's the case, is closing schools a good idea?

[03:30:00]

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VAUSE: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Coming to 3.30 here on a Wednesday morning. You are watching CNN Newsroom.

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[03:30:00]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers in United States and around the world, coming to 3:30 here on a Wednesday morning. You are watching CNN Newsroom, I'm John Vause.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church. The number of coronavirus cases in United States has now reached a thousand, 31 people have died and many states have declared state of emergency with Washington, California and New York the hardest hit. As Nick Watt reports, extraordinary measures are being taken to contain the outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A hot spot exploding in New York.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): New Rochelle at this point is probably the largest cluster in the United States.

WATT: There is now a containment zone. Schools, facilities closed inside that ring. The National Guard deployed to help deliver food and clean.

CUOMO: This is literally a matter of life and death.

WATT: In New Jersey, four more presumptive positives and a death. A man who's only known travel was to New York. Coronavirus now in nearly 40 states with another hot spot up in Washington state. Now 19 deaths connected to this nursing home. The elderly are most at risk, but younger people can still get sick, and certainly carry and spread this virus.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALERGY AND INFECTOUS DISEASE: As a nation, we can't be doing the kinds of things we were doing a few months ago. That it doesn't matter if you're in a state that has no cases or one case. You have to start taking seriously what you can do now that if and when the infections will come -- and they will come.

WATT: More colleges across the country are cancelling face to face classes. Harvard ordering students out of houses and first-year dorms by Sunday in an effort to de-densify our community. Testing of course also key at a meeting with major health insurers, the vice-president said they have --

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- agreed to waive all copays on coronavirus testing and extend coverage for coronavirus treatment in all of their benefit plans.

WATT: But the CDC Director says under funding has slowed the testing process in public labs.

DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL: There's not enough equipment. There's not enough people. There's not enough internal capacity, there's no surge capacity.

WATT: Meanwhile hundreds of passengers remain trapped on the Grand Princess here in Oakland waiting to be tested, then dispatched for treatment or quarantine. Frustration building on board.

CAPTAIN JOHN HARRY SMITH, CAPTAIN, GRAND PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP: We have been unsuccessful in getting anyone with knowledge or authority to provide accurate information to share with you in a timely manner. And for that, I apologize.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining us now from Los Angeles is Dr. Lisa Dabby, specialist in emergency medicine at UCLA Hospital. Dr. Lisa Dabby, thanks for being with us.

DR. LISA DABBY, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN, UCLA HOSPITAL: Thank you for having me.

VAUSE: So what are the concerns to healthcare systems here in the United States and around the world is a repeat of what happened in Italy where the number of cases exploded. I guess from single digits almost overnight into the thousands and hospitals and the health systems are overwhelmed. How likely is that scenario in the U.S.?

DABBY: So, I do think it's likely that the numbers are going to increase and they're going to ramp up pretty quickly. I think our community and our government is working very hard to mitigate the spread. If we can mitigate and slow down the spread of the virus through our community, that will save the health care system, right.

If we can just flatten out the curve of the rate of increase so that not all the sick people are coming in at once, then we shouldn't get overwhelmed. We should be able to support the critically ill. We have a lot of hospitals, lot of great health care. So if people can do their part to do good -- excuse me, good hand hygiene, avoid public spaces, if we can slow the spread of this virus, I think our health care system should do just fine.

VAUSE: And of course, we're already treating the people who need health care at the moment for other diseases and ailments that they have. One of the unusual features of this coronavirus is that it's not acting like other viruses like the flu. For example, according to WHO, the disease in in children it appears to be relatively rare and mild, partly 3.4 percent of total reported cases are individual's age under 19 years.

But a small portion develop severe cases, that's 2.5 percent go to critical stage, 0.2 percent. In China there had been no reported cases of children dying, you know, from covid-19. At the same time, the mortality increases with age, highest mortality among people over 80 years old. You know, normally the very, very young and the very, very old are the most at risk, but not this time. So, if researchers can work out why children are spared but adults are not, is that possibly a key to finding a way to treat this disease?

DABBY: That's a great question. I don't think we really understand why kids are not having a lot of symptoms and having zero mortality at this point. There is some thought that children are exposed to many childhood illnesses and the common cold, there's a lot of other coronaviruses. So, some people believe that children may have recently seen other coronaviruses which may be giving them some immunity. But it is one hypothesis. But it's not clear at this point exactly why kids are being spared from this disease.

[03:35:20]

VAUSE: Well, due to the fact that kids aren't being impacted by the virus in any significant way, does it make a lot of sense, then, to close down schools? Because we're seeing that all over the U.S.

DABBY: Yes. So, we don't know if kids are still transmitting. We believe they are, and so the idea of shutting down schools or shutting down mass gatherings is to mitigate the transmission. Again, we want to slow the spread. And when you put a lot of people in one place, you spread a virus much more quickly than if people are not together.

So the idea behind closing schools is to slow down the spread of the virus because the kids will then potentially take these viruses home to their grandparents who will then get sick. And that's what we want to avoid.

VAUSE: Good point. There is another report out by the World Health Organization which found that if the virus stays in the nose and the throat, then most patients recover, everything will be fine. The problem seems to develop when the virus reaches the lungs. So again, what does that say about this virus compared to other diseases? What does it say about a way of treatment? DABBY: That's a great question. So, the truth is when the virus

infects your body it actually spreads throughout your whole body, not just to your nasal airway. Why some people are developing acute respiratory distress syndrome which is when it spreads to your lungs is unclear. We are seeing it definitely more in elderly, definitely in the immuno compromised and people with morbidities. But it's not clearly understood what puts some people at higher risk of developing this acute respiratory distress syndrome compared to others at this point.

VAUSE: It's just the unknown out there right now, which I guess is so terrifying for so many people.

DABBY: That's correct. I think the unknown is really what's causing the fear. And I think if we all just settle down, do a good job of trying to prevent transmission of the disease, taking care of our community, not stockpiling toilet paper, but, you know, continuing life as usual, good hand hygiene, minimizing community involvement in gatherings I think we're going to get through this just fine. I think we need to not panic and just take care of our community.

VAUSE: Good advice to finish on. And wash hands, wash hands.

DABBY: Wash hands.

VAUSE: Stress the washing of the hands. Doctor, thank you so much for being with us. I appreciate it.

DABBY: Thank you.

CHURCH: That's it. We can't emphasize that enough. And people have so many questions about this virus. And we have a great new resource for you. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a new podcast aimed at making sense of all the headlines.

VAUSE: Subscribe and listen to our podcast as he talks to other experts and helps separates fact from fiction about this pandemic. And remember -- did you wash your hands?

CHURCH: Of course, many times. I sang happy birthday twice.

VAUSE: Very good. Ah, yes very good. We shall take a break and wash your hands. We will be back in a moment. But Joe Biden maintained a commanding lead in the Democratic race for the White House. In a moment, we'll take a closer look at the road ahead. And is it too late for a Bernie bounce back?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

VAUSE: It's a great day to be Joe Biden. CNN projects he won Democratic primaries in at least four states.

CHURCH: And for the latest, CNN's Phil Mattingly joins us now from Washington. Good to see you, Phil. So, Biden is in a great position right now. What might this mean for Bernie Sanders' next move?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's problematic for the Sanders campaign. And there's no question about it. Look, let's just start with the top line. As it currently stands, Joe Biden based on the races and the delegates that had been pledged, that we've called tonight, 779 delegates. Remember he needs 1,991 delegates to clinch the nomination. He is now firmly on the road to that. Bernie Sanders, more than 140 delegates behind him.

And guys, the biggest story of the night was the state with the biggest delegate haul here. Take a look at Michigan here. When you look at Michigan -- pull this u, so you can see is it a little bit better -- all you see is dark blue. Dark blue is -- dark blue for Joe Biden, Joe Biden winning this state 52.8 percent, a 36.5 percent. And I'll tell you why this is a surprise to some degree, at least the scale of this victory.

Take a look back just four years ago. 2016, Bernie Sanders, you see all that light blue here with a stunning upset of Hillary Clinton at the time. Winning by a little over a point and a half, winning all throughout the state. Now let's flash forward again to this year. There is no Bernie blue in the state of Michigan. Joe Biden sweeping through the state, winning African-American voters, winning the suburbs, winning even young voters in college towns the place Bernie Sanders has done best. And perhaps most notably, winning rural white voters throughout the course of the state as well.

But guys, it wasn't just Michigan. That may have been the biggest haul. But take a look at Missouri, as well. Again, you don't see a single Bernie Sanders county when you go through the state of Missouri. Take a look back to 2016, you see a lot of light blue for Bernie Sanders. He lost the state but just by .2 percentage points. Very, very narrow loss. Flash forward again, not even close tonight.

And this is just kind of underscores what's been going on over the course of the last couple of weeks. And of course, the big question as to what happens next for Bernie Sanders. Now, on the course of the night, Joe Biden picking up four contests, Bernie Sanders currently leading in two states right now, North Dakota and Washington. CNN has not projected yet, but what does this mean overall? I want to pull up our delegate tracker, give you guys, a sense of just how much things have changed over the course of the last couple of weeks.

[03:45:08]

When you look up here right now, this was after the first four contests, 60 delegates for Bernie Sanders, 54 delegates for Joe Biden. This was right after South Carolina. Ten days ago, seems like about 10 years ago at this point in time. Now take a look as to how this moves over the course of the last 10 days. Take Super Tuesday last week. Joe Biden racking up more than hundred or four or 500 delegates here, more than he had, taking a lead right now.

Now look what's happened over the course of the night. Even more space there. So the big question, guys, going into the debate this weekend, going into another Super Tuesday next Tuesday is what is Bernie Sanders going to do? As of now his campaign has been mostly silent saying, only according to one aide, that he will debate, but I will note, guys, there is less and less of a path as this contest goes on. And I'll show you why as it currently stands.

This is the percentage of delegates that have been allocated up to this point. The dark blue is Joe Biden, 51.2 percent of delegates have gone to Joe Biden. What that means is he only needs to win less than 50 percent of the remaining delegates to win. That means is, he is essentially on a glide path now. It's all downhill for Joe Biden. If you're Bernie Sanders, you need to win 55 percent of the remaining delegates. That is extremely difficult to do the way the Democrats had set up the delegate race up to this point.

All this coming back to a single point. Based on 10 days, Joe Biden has completely reversed the race. Democratic voters have flipped the switch move heavily in all sorts of sectors towards Joe Biden and right now it looks like it is very much Joe Biden's race to lose and very much on track for Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee come the fall, guys.

CHURCH: Yes. We'll be watching to see what Bernie Sanders' likely next move is. He was very quiet Tuesday night after all of this pan out. So we will see what happens.

MATTINGLY: Absolutely.

CHURCH: Phil Mattingly, many thanks to you.

VAUSE: Thanks, Phil. He was 20 points down in 2016, had the stunning comeback, pretty on track here. Upset Hillary for a while to this four years later.

CHURCH: Yes. Just extraordinary. We'll take a short break. The U.S. State of Florida is filled with some sand and senior citizens. How the country's retirement capital is reacting to the coronavirus outbreak. Back with that in a moment.

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[03:50:00]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, as we mentioned earlier, there are 1,000 coronavirus cases in the United States and 31 people have died.

VAUSE: Washington State is the hardest hit with more than 270 confirmed cases. State Governor Jay Inslee is asking nursing homes and assisted living facilities to follow strict guidelines, especially when it comes to visitors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAY INSLEE (D-WA): We are requiring compliance that residents are limited to one visitor per day. Visitors must be adults and the visit must take place in the resident's room. This does not apply to end of life situations. Number two, all visitors must follow covid-19 screening and follow reasonable precautionary measures. Precautionary measures might include but are not limited to, wearing personal protective equipment, social distancing or visiting a designated locations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, the state of Florida is warm, most of the year. Has no state taxes, making it a mecca for retirees.

CHURCH: That's right. But there is growing concern over their vulnerability to the coronavirus. CNN's Martin Savidge has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Planning for a pandemic, Florida state officials are worried about the coronavirus and the state's high number of elderly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Avoid things like cruise ships, long plane flights, large crowds.

SAVIDGE: The CDC recommends people over the age of 60 practice social distancing, limiting closed contact with others, avoiding crowds and in some cases even staying home. In central Florida, there are few signs seniors are listening. At this softball game at the villages outside Orlando, most of the players are in their 60s, 70s, even 80s. The only thing they say they've been told to cut back on is their post-game high fives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, they're telling us not to bump fist or hit forearms. We should just walk by each other and say, great game, good game.

SAVIDGE: You're not concerned for your safety?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all. Not at all. Wash your hands. You know, cover your mouth when you cough.

SAVIDGE: 72-year-old Rick Sanford isn't keen on any suggestion he change his life-style.

RICK SANFORD, FLORIDA RESIDENT: Well, I'll be frank and say I think it's bogus and I think it's something that each individual has to decide upon their own.

SAVIDGE: Others we talk to here are concerned, like Pat and Nick McEvilly. He just turned 80.

PAT MCEVILLY, FLORIDA RESIDENT: This just seems to be something that they can't wrap their arms around. So, that worries me some. So, you know, we're going to restrict our travel and just stay in our local cocoon here.

SAVIDGE: A number of those we spoke to have canceled or are considering cancelling cruises and trips overseas. But many still attend large local public gatherings with other seniors that are in almost daily part of life in Florida's retirement communities. Exactly the sort of close contact situations experts say where the virus could spread rapidly. Back at the ballpark, Donna Callaghan is skeptical.

DONNA CALLAGHAN, FLORIDA RESIDENT: I think it's overdone. Absolutely. I think the media -- I know they have to cover it, but it doesn't seem like it's any worse than the flu or anything else that's irrelatively healthy.

[03:55:05]

SAVIDGE: President Trump has voiced similar comments leading experts to fault him for downplaying the risk.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want any deaths, right? But over the last long period of time when people have the flu, you have an average of 36,000 people dying. I never heard those numbers. I would have been shocked.

SAVIDGE: Many of Florida's senior residents voted for Trump. And even though they are in the age group most at risk for the coronavirus, many believe him.

CALLAGHAN: He doesn't seem to be -- I don't think he's going one way or the other. It doesn't seem like he's being too overly fearful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: All right. Well, that's an idea of what's going on in Florida.

VAUSE: In Florida, yeah.

CHURCH: Thank you so much for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rosemary Church.

VAUSE: I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. A lot more news here in just a moment. You're watching CNN.

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